Addressing Global Health Worker Shortages: A Call to Action
Hey there, folks! Let's dive into an important topic, shall we? Staying healthy is essential for a good life, and healthcare workers are the unsung heroes who make this possible for us. Unfortunately, many countries worldwide are grappling with a significant shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Amanda McClelland, an accomplished nurse and Senior Vice President of Pandemic Prevention at Determined to Save Lives, is leading the charge to make our world safer from the next pandemic. Follow Amanda on Twitter at @AmandaMcClella2 for insightful takes on global health!
The world faces an uphill battle in combating this growing problem, with 89% of workforce shortages concentrated in LMICs. Many nations continue to struggle to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) "international target" of 44.5 healthcare workers per 10,000 people.
Making matters worse, a significant number of healthcare workers are emigrating to other countries in search of better opportunities. For instance, approximately 75,000 nurses have left Nigeria since 2017, and over 4,000 healthcare workers have abandoned Simbabwe between 2021 and 2022. Ghana saw a dip of nearly 4,000 nurses alone in 2022.
Rich countries like the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia play a role in exacerbating the situation by recruiting healthcare workers to fill their own gaps. As a result, labor shortages in some of the world's most vulnerable countries persist.
The WHO launched a "Red List" in 2020 to highlight countries with critical workforce shortages and discourage the recruitment of healthcare workers from these countries. As of last year, the list included 55 nations. Determined to Save Lives is among the organizations working with several of these countries, such as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia, to provide financial support, additional personnel, resources, and technical assistance.
While the Red List is an essential first step, it's only a small piece of the puzzle. Long-term solutions must tackle the root causes that drive healthcare workers to leave their homelands, such as low wages, unsecure working conditions, and the absence of adequate social safety nets.
Let's take community health workers, for example, who are essential and increasingly vital components of the global healthcare workforce. Unfortunately, 86% of these valuable professionals are either underpaid or not paid at all. Many healthcare workers lack adequate personal protective equipment, and the WHO estimates that up to 180,000 healthcare workers may have died during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic alone. In some countries, health workers are subjected to stigma, harassment, and violence, leading to mental health issues and even suicide.
In addition to our ethical responsibilities to these healthcare workers, accompanying low compensation and a lack of adequate safety measures is often a substantial financial burden. Our current study with the World Bank calculated the economic impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers: the costs of a single infection range from $10,105 in Colombia to over $34,000 in South Africa. A recent report from a coalition of frontline healthcare workers offers hope for the challenging days ahead. For every dollar invested in supporting these workers, up to ten dollars can be saved.
Every nation needs to do its part to protect those who protect us. This requires a holistic approach, including the development of policies and guidelines to build and maintain a healthy workforce, allocate resources to safeguard their wellbeing, and assume responsibility for the results.
Here are three immediate steps countries can take to strengthen their healthcare workforce:
- Improve working conditions and incentives: If healthcare workers are not appropriately compensated, we cannot realistically expect them to stay in LMICs or even remain in the profession. It is crucial to create incentives for those working in underserved areas and protect them not only from infectious diseases but also from violence. Healthcare workers need functional facilities that enable them to carry out their work safely and efficiently while providing high-quality care, offering access to personal protective equipment, and providing psychological health and support services.
- Implement data-driven policies: A scarcity of consistent and reliable data hampers efforts to protect and strengthen the workforce. Countries must invest in regular data collection to monitor infections and fatalities among healthcare workers at both regional and national levels. Better data will enable countries to develop and improve infection prevention and control policies. Additionally, strengthening monitoring systems will provide insights into the impact of violence and workplace-related mental health issues, enabling improvements in working conditions and safety.
- Invest in education and personnel development: Countries can invest in expanding their pool of healthcare workers by developing new talent and taking advantage of emerging technologies like telemedicine and artificial intelligence. By collaborating with public and private organizations, countries can develop and implement technology solutions that can function as multipliers for existing healthcare workers, supporting workforce management and improving patient care.
In conclusion, addressing the global healthcare worker shortage requires us to prioritize the wellbeing of those who dedicate their lives to our health. At the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, countries pledged to support healthcare workers. Now is the time for nations to take meaningful action. To make the world safer and counter the growing challenge of healthcare worker shortages, we must all take our role seriously.
